Pair deny stealing €10,000 worth of toys from warehouse

A court has denied bail to two men who were arraigned on Sunday, accused of stealing over €10,000 worth of toys from a Playmobil warehouse and other thefts. 

Clyde Mallia, 22, from Għaxaq and Massimo Fasanelli, 22, from Marsascala, were arrested by the police at around 5 am on Saturday morning at the Playmobil warehouse in Ħal Far.  Although the theft took place during the night between Thursday and Friday, the pair were taken into custody on Saturday after returning to the warehouse to help themselves to more stock.

Before Magistrate Ian Farrugia on Sunday the men denied charges of aggravated theft and further charges relating to an attempted robbery from a house in San Ġwann on March 9. They were also accused of recidivism.

Mallia and Fasanelli were also charged with causing more than €2,000 worth of damage to the San Ġwann residence and to the theft of a van they allegedly used in the robberies. 

Fasanelli alone was also charged with stealing tools from the new Malta Business Registry building in Żejtun early on Saturday morning. 

The men were also charged with breaching various bail conditions they had been handed during separate prosecutions.

Magistrate Ian Farrugia denied their request to be released on bail and the two were remanded in custody. 

Police Inspectors Jonathan Cassar, Doriette Cuschieri and Jean Paul Attard prosecuted. Lawyers Franco Debono and Francesca Zarb represented Mallia. Lawyer Herman Mula appeared for Fasanelli.